Daley

By Michael Hatamoto

British brawler Paul Daley is infamously known for being booted out of the UFC following a sucker punch of then-contenderJosh Koscheck after a fight.

It’s a shame Daley hasn’t been able to work on his wrestling defense and ground game, because it blows my mind that virtual unknown Alexander Yakovlev, a wrestler, was able to outwork Daley the entire fight. Even if he tried to move forward and land strikes, Daley wasn’t able to stop the takedown and keep the fight where he wanted.

Daley fought on Legend MMA: Invasion 2, which had a handful of well-known combat fighters, including Daley, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Melvin Manhoef and Badr Hadi. The event largely flew under the radar among casual and hardcore MMA fans alike, though Daley receives more headlines when he fights in his home country.

Don’t worry; Daley will get a chance to bounce back at BAMMA 14 next month, when he meets Romario Manoel da Silva in the main event. He has a fan-friendly style – assuming he can stay on his feet – and should always have an easy time collecting a paycheck if he fights in the UK.

BAMMA 14 will be shown in the United States on AXS TV on December 14 from the LG Arena in Birmingham, England.

It’s not to say Daley still can’t serve as a main card fighter in the UK, as long as BAMMA and any other MMA promotion make sure he’s fighting an opponent that wants to stand and bang. I just wish he would spend more time at a larger MMA fight team stateside, which would help him work on his wrestling and submission defense.